


What You Needed

by Cloverthirteen



Category: A Bug's Life (1998)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Sexual Tension, but it could be read as having romantic undertones, it's more ambiguous than my other fics, or just being platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23377660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloverthirteen/pseuds/Cloverthirteen
Summary: Slim is anxious over his first performance in the circus. Francis isn't much help.
Relationships: Francis & Slim (A Bug's Life), Francis/Slim (A Bug's Life)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	What You Needed

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read "Your Family" this is sort of a continuation of my headcanon that Slim and Francis started living together after they got out of, bug school, I guess, because Francis' family is kinda shitty, and they ended up joining the circus together later.

“ _God_ , would you stop pacing? I don’t need to feel _your_ stress!”

Slim stopped to look up at the ladybug sitting on the bench across from him in the small dressing room. He knew that his partner was thinking about the exact same thing he was; who couldn’t take their mind off of their first performance? Especially when it was twenty minutes from now! Slim was sure...well, almost sure...that their sketch would go off without a hitch--unless…

“Hey, stickhead, are you even listening to me? What’s wrong with you, anyway?” Francis cut in again.

“I don’t know!” Slim wailed, turning towards his friend and histrionically throwing his face in his hands. “We’ve practiced the sketch so many times, but I just can’t stop worrying about how it'll be when we go out there!"

Francis scoffed. "Well, geez, of course you are. Can't you cut it out for once in your life? This performance is gonna be kind of a big deal for us, you know, I don't need you stressing over it so much!"

"I can't help it," Slim muttered. "I know how it's supposed to go, I know this has to go well because we have to prove that we can be decent performers, I just... I keep thinking of ways it could go wrong…”

“Well, focusing on that’s not gonna help!” Francis snapped. “This is the last chance we got to show this flea that we can give him a show! What if you kept thinking of messing up the sketch while you’re doing it? What if that makes you mess up for real, huh? And then what? Then we’re out of a job, and a home, and--”

He stopped, on his feet now, slightly choked up. To Slim it looked like he was almost on the verge of tears. He hadn’t expected an outburst from his friend at a time like this. The stick bug tried to pick his next words carefully.

“Francis, I… I know how much you want this role,” he began softly. “Being able to perform, and travel, and having friends…”

Francis glared slightly up at him.

“Don’t look at me like that, I know that that’s one of the things you like about doing this. In fact, I’m sure you would like it better if you made an effort to talk to the others more often--”

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Francis finally said with a scowl.

“Oh, I see,” Slim said pointedly. “I have to take _your_ advice, but _you_ don’t have to listen to mine. I suppose that’s fair.”

“Look, it’s none of your business how many friends I want to make, got it?”

“It’s just--”

“I thought you would understand this better, I thought you--”

“I don’t--”

“I just don’t want an excuse to have to go back home!”

Oh dear, he had crossed a line. Francis had sat back down on the bench, shaking slightly with rage, his head lowered in an attempt to hide the tears that had been freshly brought to his eyes.

Slim sat next to him gently, waiting, watching him in the aftermath of his vent. Slim didn’t usually see Francis this upset, and he had spent a few seasons now pretty much not leaving his side. He’d tell P.T. Flea to postpone their first performance if he had to.

When he thought the air had diffused enough, Slim broke the silence softly.

“I… I’m sorry, Francis. I know that it’s been tough for you, to get this chance and to get this far in your life. I promise that I’m not trying to ruin this for you. And I...well…” He paused for a moment. “You know that...we’ll be in this together, all right? Whenever you’re ready.”

Slim took a breath, then put an arm around his friend. To his surprise, Francis leaned into him in response. They sat alone together in the dim room, silent but once again thinking on the same train of thought.

P.T. would be in their room in another two minutes, calling for them to get it together because their act would be on in thirty seconds.

But for now, this was all they needed.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a ton of angsty headcanons for Francis you don't even know


End file.
